Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur
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Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur: Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. He came from the race of Mongols which had created havoc across Asia and Europe a few centuries ago. He was also related to the family of Taimur from his mother’s side. Early Life of Babur: Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur was the eldest son of Umar Sheikh Mirza. He was born in 14 February 1483 in Andijan. A few years before the birth of Babur, Umar Sheikh Mirza had transferred his capital from Andijan to Akshi. Umar Sheikh Mirza died on 8 June 1494. Babur memoir says that he fell off the roof of his house while flying pigeons and died instantly. Accession and Early Difficulties: Thus, Babur ascended the throne of Farghana at the age of 11. Soon after his accession, his small principality came under attack from all sides by his uncles: Ahmed Mirza and Sultan Mahmud Khan. But mainly with the support from his grandmother Aishya Daulat Begum and with the firmness of his subjects, Babur was able to ward off these attacks. Years of Struggle and quest for Samarqand: Babur invaded Samarqand in 1497 when he was just 15 years of age. But his illness and a conspiracy in his own ranks forced him retreat. Meanwhile, his begs installed his younger brother Jahangir Mirza to the throne of Farghana. Babur captured Samarqand again in 1501 with the help of its citizens but could not hold it because of the lack of resources. Uzbek chief Shaibani Khan defeated Babur in the battle of Sar-i- Pul (1502). It was in this battle that Uzbeg chief used Tulghuma (wheeling military tactics) which Babur adopted and used against Ibrahim Lodhi in 1526. Then, he turned his attention towards east and captured Kabul in 1504. In 1507, he annexed Heart, Kandhar and Badkshan. Babur book (Babarnama) says: “I captured Herat without using my artillery.” In 1507, he assumed the title Padshah which was to be adopted by all the Mughal Emperors from Humayun to Bahadur Shah Zafar. The first to adopt the title Sultan was Mahmud Ghaznavi. The first to adopt the title Sultan among the rulers of India was Shamshuddin Iltutmish. Babur invaded Samarqand again in 1510 but he left the city and retreated in 1513. He captured and lost Samarqand thrice. Babur biography (Tuzuk-i-Baburi) says: “Ever since the days I subdued Kabul, I was bent upon annexing Punjab.” He led five invasions into Punjab. Invasion of India: 1. First invasion in June 1519 and annexed Bajaur and Bhera. 2. Second invasion in September 1519 and annexed Peshawar. 3. Third invasion in 1520 and annexed Sialkot. 4. His fourth invasion was against Punjab as the estranged governor Daulat Khan Lodhi invited Babur to invade India. Babur annexed Lahore, Jalandhar and Sultanpur. Daulat Khan changed sides and made peace with Ibrahim Lodhi. He began to conspire against Babur but his son Dilawar Khan divulged his father’s intentions to Babur. In return, Babur made Dilawar Khan the governor of Sultanpur. Dilawar Khan became the first noble to be bestowed upon the greatest Mughal title Khan-i-Khana. 5. It was during his fifth invasion that the first Battle of Panipat was fought. Factors that led to the Battle: 1. Several estranged Indian rulers like Daulat Khan Lodhi, Rana Sanga and Alam Khan Lodhi invited Babur to invade India with the hope that he would return to Kabul like his predecessors. 2. Both political divisions and disunity captivated Babur. 3. Babur had no hope in Central Asia. Ferishta has written: “Like a King on the chessboard, he kept moving from one place to another.” 4. Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “Economic prosperity was an additional attraction for Babur.” The First Battle of Panipat: In November 1525, Babur left Kabul with a cavalry of 12000 horsemen. On his way to Delhi, he met feeble resistance from Daulat Khan Lodhi who was defeated and arrested. The armies of Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi met on the fateful plains of Panipat that has thrice decided the fate of India. Contemporary resources say that Ibrahim Lodhi had an army of around 1 Lakh, Babur followed the Uzbek tactics of warfare. With his advanced guards, he kept 700 wooden carts. They were tied to each other with rubber belts. He stationed artillery in the middle guard which was led by Mustafa. Reserves were kept in the rear guard. He dug trenches on the left side and covered them with branches and grass so as to conceal them from advancing armies. Behind it was stationed infantry. Cavalry was stationed on the right hand side. Babur stationed himself on the top of a hill to keep an eye on the whole battlefield. The Babur book (Tuzuk-i-Baburi) says: “With divine grace, that mighty task was made easy for me. Ibrahim’s army was raised to the ground in less than a day.” Causes of Babur’s Success: 1. The most important cause was the use of artillery. Babur introduced scientific artillery in India. 2. Babur was a great general. Ibrahim Lodhi was incapable. 3. Political ambition and disunity of Indian rulers prevented from forging a united front against a common enemy. Results of the First Battle of Panipat: 1. The Sultanate of Delhi came to an end. 2. This battle laid the foundations of the Mughal Empire. 3. This battle laid the foundations of the great socio-cultural synthesis in India. Every sphere of the Indian society from life-style and literature to religion, food and social pattern was influenced. 4. This influence reached its culmination in Akbar’s policy of Sulh-i-Kul (Universal Peace among all the faiths). Battle of Khanwa (1527) Babur and Rana Sanga blamed each other for the breach of trust. Rana blamed Babur for not returning back and Babur blamed Babur for not opening a second front as promised by him during the first battle of Panipat. Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “This battle lay in the logic of history. Babur understood that without the destruction of the powerful Rajput chief of Mewa, he can’t build a lasting Empire in India. Contrary, Rana Sanga considered Babur a strong deterrence in his political ambitions.” There was complete pessimism in the Mughal camp before the battle. The Mughal astrologer Muhammad Sherrif had predicted the complete defeat of the Mughal armies and the death of all the soldiers except himself. To heighten the morale of his forces, Babur invited him to repeat his prediction. As he repeat his prediction for the second time, he was killed by Babur on the spot. According to Babur autobiography book (Tuzuk-i-Baburi), Babur addressed his soldiers thus: “Everything in this world is subjected to decay and death. Only the name of Allah remains inalterable and imperishable.” Babur broke his wine cups and promised not to touch the wine again if Allah grants him victory in the battle. He raised the religious war-cry of Jihad. It was in the battle of Khanwa that Babur declared the war against Rajputs Jihad. Rana Sanga’s forces were led by 120 Rajput chiefs. He also had a cavalry of 90,000 Rajputs. Till the midday, the scale of battle was in the favor of Rajputs. Babur then put his artillery to work which sealed the fate of Rajputs. Rana Sanga fled the battlefield and died in 1528. Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “The Battle of Khanwa was more important than the first battle of Panipat. It consolidated the foundations of the dynasty and gave a death blow to Rajput power.” Battle of Chanderi: This battle was fought in 1528 against Medini Rai who had provided shelter to the Rajputs soon after the battle of Khanwa. The whole Rajput army of 5000 was cut into pieces. Battle of Ghaggar: It was the last battle fought by Babur. He defeated Mahmud Khan Lodhi, the Lodhi governor of Bihar. On 30 December 1530, Babur died in Agra and was buried there. His body was extracted later and he was buried in Ram/Aram Bagh later known as Babur Bagh, Kabul. Gulbadan Begum had written in Humayun Nama that Humayun fell ill and Babur went around his bed for seven times. He prayed to exchange his life for his son. Mughal traditions believe that Babur died and Humayun survived. Babur Autobiography Name and Significance: Babur wrote Babarnama/Tuzuk-i- Baburi in Chagtai Turkish. In 1590, it was translated for the first time into Persian by Pandya Khan and Abdul Rahim Khan-i- Khana. In 1826, Erskine and Leyden translated it into English from Persian sources. In 1871, Augnier translated it into French. Mrs. Beveridge translated it into English directly from Turkish source. Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “Babur is the prince of autobiographer. No one except Amir Sher Ali can complete with him in chaste Turkish Poetry. His autobiography is not a simple soldier’s description of marches and counter-marches, descriptions of mines and industries but it contains an active reflection of the most cultured man of the world history.” The line of the Mughal dynasty and the brilliant emperor who had followed Babur have eclipsed, but this magnum opus is inalterable and imperishable. S.R. Sharma has written: “His autobiography can be compared to the great works of Rousseau and Gandhi as it satisfies the basic touchstone of a good autobiography. It is a free and frank confession of his strengths and failures.” Babur Memoir (Babarnama) says: “He never celebrated more than two consecutive Ramzans at a single place.” This fact is supported by Ferishta who says that like a king on the chessboard, he kept moving from one place to another.